What You'll Find At A Jewish Wedding
"Mazeltov!" The common congratulatory pronouncement usually marks the end of the Jewish wedding ceremony with the crowd cheering on the newlywed couple. However, the congratulations are just one tradition found at a Jewish wedding. Here are some other rituals and traditions you may want to include in a Jewish wedding:
Tena'im
When a company is engaged they break a plate to symbolize the destruction of the temples in Jerusalem. The breaking of the plate is meant to remind everyone that they feel sad for the loss even during this time of celebration.
The Jewish Sabbath
When planning a Jewish wedding, the Sabbath is an important time to remember, because weddings cannot be held from Friday at sunset to Saturday at sunset. However, wedding dates can also not fall on the dates of major Jewish festivals like Passover or Shavuot.
Ufruf
The Ufruf is a special ceremony for the groom. The ceremony takes place at the synagogue and involves the groom being involved in the service. Then members then toss sweets at the groom. The ceremony is then followed by refreshments.
Mikveh
While the groom has the Ufruf, the bride has the Mikveh where she visits a ritual bath during the week before the wedding. The bath is meant to cleanse the bride so she is completely pure for the wedding.
Chupa
The Chupa is one of the most recognizable parts of the Jewish wedding ceremony, as it is a special canopy symbolizing the newlyweds future home. The chupa allows for weddings to be held anywhere as long as it is present.
Seeing the Bride and Groom
In the week before the wedding, traditional Jewish couples are not to see each other. However, this custom is not practiced as often today as it was in the past.
Ketubah
The Ketubah is a marriage contract that the couple usually signs at the start of the wedding ceremony. The contract outlines the legal terms of the marriage, a custom began by the Sanhedrin a few thousand years ago.
Seven
The number seven is an important number in the Jewish faith, and it is represented in the ceremony via seven glasses of wine drunk during the ceremony and during the reception.
The Ring
In a Jewish ceremony the ring must belong to the groom (it can't be borrowed), and it must be an unbroken circle so as to symbolize a harmonious marriage.
The Glass
At the end of the ceremony the groom will break the glass in order to symbolize the destruction of the temple. The glass is usually wrapped in a cloth to protect the groom's foot.
Chris Morton ran hotels and restaurants for 10 years, organising many
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